On the way back home from Bournville, I picked up a copy of The Guardian and was very pleased to see a plug for The CFG in its Best New Children’s Books supplement that launched Independent Bookshop Week, celebrating independent bookshops in the UK and Ireland.
Do make use of your local independent bookshop if you’re lucky enough to have one. Other bookshops are great too, but they’re all facing tough times competing with online retailers and won’t last on our high streets if we choose price over good service: many bookshops run homework clubs or book groups as well, and offer their premises for launches and other community events. It always warms my heart to see a town with its own bookshop – you can find your nearest one here.